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ROCK & REPUBLIC TO BE KOHL’S EXCLUSIVE

by Christopher Blomquist — May 03, 2011

Rock & Republic, the financially troubled premium denim line recently acquired by VF Corp, will be an exclusive brand at discount retailer Kohl’s starting next spring. The Wisconsin-based department-store chain, which operates 1,097 stores in the US, will be the sole provider and marketer in the US of all Rock & Republic apparel, accessories and other merchandise. The brand will initially launch in Kohl’s stores with men’s and women’s apparel and footwear but may expand into other categories. VF will supply the brand’s jeanswear while the retailer will design and source all the other product categories from its design offices in New York. The deal between Kohl’s and apparel giant VF Corp is a long-term licensing agreement, the first for VF’s recently launched Retail Licensed Brands Group. It also builds on the retailer’s business strategy to focus on private, exclusive labels such as its Chaps or Dana Buchman lines. In all, its private label business accounted for 48% of its total sales last year. "Rock & Republic is an authentic luxury brand and represents a lifestyle that is aspirational and appealing to many. Bringing the original Rock & Republic brand exclusively to Kohl's with a compelling new value proposition is a unique and exciting opportunity,” said Eric Wiseman, chairman and CEO of VF Corporation, about the new partnership. "VF's expertise in jeanswear combined with Kohl's proven ability to develop powerful exclusive brands will be a winning combination that will create new excitement for Kohl's customers and add yet another growth opportunity to what is already a long and mutually rewarding partnership between Kohl's and VF Corporation."